For 60 years, WXXI Public Media has been a trusted source of news, education, culture, and community connection across the Greater Rochester region. Since signing on the air in 1966 with a broadcast of Julia Child’s The French Chef, WXXI has informed, entertained, and inspired generations through its commitment to public media. As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, WXXI honors six decades of storytelling, learning, and service while looking ahead to a future of continuing to connect and strengthen the communities it serves.
Click here for our historical timeline.
Six Questions Answered by WXXI President Chris Hastings About His Vision for the Next 60 Years
Q. What do you believe WXXI must prioritize in the next decade to remain essential to the communities it serves?
A. To remain essential, we must invest in innovation, diversify revenue streams, build operational sustainability, expand production services and partnerships, and reinforce the station’s role as a vital community connector for Rochester. We’re always going to be a nonprofit; public media will always be part of our mission, and we’re going to continue to serve our community with our content. But now we need to treat ourselves more like a ‘traditional’ business, while we hold on to valuable public media mission. And we can do that by leveraging our production services to creatives that will help bring in new revenue.
Q. How do you envision the balance between traditional broadcasting and emerging digital formats evolving in the years ahead?
A. There are still many people who consume linear TV and radio, but digital media consumption is growing at an incredible rate. More and more people are getting their information through podcasts and digital media like YouTube and Instagram.
And we know that to stay relevant, we need to meet people where they are, whether it’s on-air or online, appointment viewing or on demand and in person events. That’s why Connections with Evan Dawson, our talk show, which is heard live on FM 105.9, also streams on WXXInews.org and on WXXI News’ YouTube channel, and is available as a podcast and on the road! This way of rolling out content will serve as a model for future WXXI projects.
Click here to continue reading.
Upcoming programs & Events (Check back often as we will be adding more throughout the year!)
Songs from 1966 • The Route
Sixty Years of Music • WXXI Classical
“WXXI 60th Anniversary Day” with the Red Wings • ESL Ballpark
WXXI-produced documentaries over the years:
Invented Here: The Paper Revolution On-Demand
Memories of Midtown
Silver Memories On-Demand
Warrior Tradition On-Demand
You Must Remember This On-Demand
Secret Gardens of the Flower City On-Demand
Great Homes of Rochester On-Demand
Rochester Italian Americans: Children of Columbus On-Demand
FUN FACTS ABOUT WXXI
WXXI started in an old high school basement. Before it had its own station, the organization that became WXXI produced educational programs from the basement of Rochester’s old East High School on Alexander Street.
It took five years to get a broadcast license.
The effort to launch WXXI involved a lengthy battle for a channel assignment that stretched from 1961 to 1966 before Channel 21 finally became a reality.
A Rochester community fundraising sprint helped make WXXI possible.
In 1965, community leaders had just 90 days to raise local matching funds for the station. The effort succeeded, and all cash and pledges were secured by January 1966.
Assignment The World was the longest-running instructional television program in history. The program was developed by Lloyd Kaiser when he worked for the Rochester Area Educational Television Association, forerunner of WXXI; Kaiser later became president of WQED in Pittsburgh. The first episode premiered in fall 1959 on two local commercial broadcasters. When they dropped the show in 1966, WXXI picked it up. Check out this ATW intro from 1981.
WXXI’s first TV auction raised a fortune for its time.
In 1969, 70 volunteers helped raise $75,000 during the first Channel 21 Auction, a significant achievement for the young station.
WXXI aired the nation’s only TV news program for Deaf audiences.
In 1972, News for the Deaf premiered on WXXI and was described as the only broadcast of its kind in the United States.
Monty Python was a Rochester ratings phenomenon.
During WXXI’s 10th anniversary year in 1976, the Monty Python series attracted the biggest audience of any station in Rochester.
WXXI was Rochester’s satellite pioneer.
In 1978, WXXI became the first television station in Rochester to utilize satellite transmission for PBS programming.
A pair of James Dean pants once stole the show.
At WXXI’s annual auction in 1988, one of the most sought-after items was a pair of slacks worn by James Dean in East of Eden.
WXXI-TV delivered Rochester’s first full-power digital television signal when WXXI-DT launched in 2003, marking a major technological milestone for the region.